1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for controlling a robot by detecting the construction of a sample product constituted by a plurality of parts having known forms and thereafter automatically constructing a product identical to the sample product.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional robot for constructing a product by assembling a plurality of parts sequentially conveyed by a conveyer, for example, operates in the following manner:
First, an operator studies the construction of a sample product and calculates 3-dimensional positions and orientations of the respective parts included therein, to determine the operations required for moving the parts, sequentially conveyed by a conveyer or the like, to predetermined positions for construction into a product, as well as to determine the sequence (construction sequence) in which the operations are performed for constructing the product.
In addition, a system has been developed wherein sensors having functions such as visual and tactile senses and the like are attached to a construction robot, so that the positions of the respective parts during the construction of a product can be automatically corrected, and a construction task can be automatically changed in accordance with prestored programs.
Moreover, still another conventional robot has been proposed which automatically constructs a product in accordance with tsk for the respective parts and task sequence obtained by CAD (computer aided design) stored in a host computer.
In general, however, the programming for controlling a robot for constructing products is very complicated. In addition, an accident may occur because of an erroneous operation due to a program error when the program for operating many arms and hands of the robot is checked by actually operating the robot.
A program for automatically correcting the positions of the respective parts used for constructing a product by using the above-described sensors having functions such as visual and tactile senses, and the like, is further complicated.
When programming for controlling the robot is automatically performed by utilizing CAD, the above-described problems do not then occur. However, when automatic designing of a program for a product to be constructed is performed by the host computer, task sequences which are not directly related to the automatic designing must be processed. This makes very complex programming for automatic designing.
As has been described above, the programming for controlling a robot for constructing products tends, conventionally, to be very complicated. In addition, when the form of a product to be constructed is even only slightly changed, a new program must be created. When automatic designing of a program is performed by using CAD, the program must be changed by products, particularly, the program is complicated in the case of constructing a few products for various products.
Therefore, even when the construction of a product to be constructed is changed, it is desired to automatically construct the product without changing a program for controlling the constructing robot.